- Colby L. Branch
- Phone: (406) 252-3441
- Billings, MT
Working together with a well-qualified staff, firm lawyers strive to provide each client with prompt, personalized service of the highest caliber.
Colby L. Branch is a Partner in the Natural Resources Department. His practice focuses on oil and gas law and Native American law, including title examination of federal, fee, state and Indian lands, contract matters, and representing clients before state and federal regulatory agencies. A significant component of his practice involves the representation of clients in the negotiation and implementation of natural resource exploration and development projects on Indian Reservations.
Mr. Branch received his Juris Doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law, where he graduated with highest honors. He has a M.S. degree in Geology, and worked as a petroleum geologist prior to attending law school. Mr. Branch reports on recent developments in Montana oil and gas law for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s Mineral Law Newsletter, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Montana Petroleum Association.
PRACTICE AREAS
- Public Land Issues
- Oil & Gas
- Natural Resources
- Indian Law
- Water Law
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Montana, 1999
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North Dakota, 1999
- Wyoming, 2000
EDUCATION
- 1999 - J.D. Gonzaga University School of Law
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1989 - M.S. Geology, Texas Tech University
- 1983 - B.S. Geology, Montana State University
AWARDS AND HONORS
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
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Recipient of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Joe Rudd Scholarship, 1998-1999
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Accessing Indian Lands for Mineral Development, Natural Resources Development in Indian Country, Paper No. 3 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn. 2005)
- Indian Lands - Surface Access and Use, Severed Minerals, Split Estates, Rights of Access and Surface in Mineral Extraction Operations, Paper No. 7 (Rocky Mt. Min. L. Fdn. 2005)
